{"id":265647,"date":"2026-01-03T19:18:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T19:18:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/265647\/"},"modified":"2026-01-03T19:18:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T19:18:21","slug":"the-11-most-exciting-museum-openings-of-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/265647\/","title":{"rendered":"The 11 Most Exciting Museum Openings of 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estimated4 min read<\/p>\n

A slew of hotly anticipated cultural institutions opened this year, from Cairo\u2019s long-delayed Grand Egyptian Museum,<\/a> some three decades in the making, to the Studio Museum in Harlem,<\/a> which unveiled its first purpose-built home with a spectacular design by Adjaye Associates. But 2026 is shaping up to be equally exciting: There\u2019s something for art lovers, history buffs, and even fans of Hip Hop.<\/p>\n

The buildings themselves are not to be overlooked, especially considering that two of them are projects designed by a pair of architecture luminaries we lost this year: Frank Gehry<\/a> and Robert A.M. Stern.<\/a> So before mapping out your travel schedule for the year ahead, check out our list below.<\/p>\n

\"Contemporary<\/p>\n

rendering courtesy of OMA\/bloomimages.de<\/p>\n

New Museum expansion | New York (early 2026)<\/p>\n

The New Museum<\/a> in Lower Manhattan\u2014the neighborhood\u2019s only institution dedicated to contemporary art\u2014is known for its stacked tower on the Bowery, which opened in 2007 with a design by acclaimed Japanese firm SANAA. Now, it\u2019s getting a companion: OMA\u2019s Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas, along with Cooper Robertson, conceived a 60,000 square-foot expansion next door that will double the museum\u2019s exhibition space and provide a permanent home for its art and technology incubator.<\/p>\n

\"Architectural<\/p>\n

The Obama Foundation<\/p>\n

Obama Presidential Center | Chicago (Spring 2026)<\/p>\n

Located within historic Jackson Park on the South Side of Chicago, the Obama Presidential Center<\/a> features a striking design by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects | Partners<\/a> (TWBTA) along with a surrounding landscape by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates.<\/a> Under construction since 2021, the 19-acre campus comprises a granite-clad tower, forum, and branch of the Chicago Public Library\u2014each accessible via the public plaza and connected underground. Etched at the top of the tower is a quote from President Obama\u2019s 2015 speech commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery marches.<\/p>\n

\"Aerial<\/p>\n

Iwan Baan<\/p>\n

LACMA expansion | Los Angeles (April 2026)<\/p>\n

Arching over L.A.\u2019s busy Wilshire Boulevard, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art<\/a>\u2019s newest expansion project, the David Geffen Galleries, will provide a home for the institution\u2019s permanent collection. Pritzker Prize\u2013winning architect Peter Zumthor designed the curvaceous wing, which is set to include 110,000 square feet of new galleries and more than three acres of outdoor space. Of note, Japanese textile artist Reiko Sud\u014d is crafting custom fireproof curtains that will be hung throughout the building\u2014right before a retrospective of her work goes on view at the museum August.<\/p>\n

\"Exterior<\/p>\n

\u00a9 O\u2019Donnell + Tuomey \/ Ninety90, 2018<\/p>\n

The V&A East Museum | London (April 2026)<\/p>\n

London\u2019s Victoria and Albert Museum is the world\u2019s most famous design and decorative arts institution, overseeing a collection of nearly 3 million objects spanning centuries. After debuting an East London outpost (called the Storehouse<\/a>) in 2025, the museum is set to unveil the V&A East Museum,<\/a> a five-story arts destination next door crafted by Dublin-based firm O\u2019Donnell + Tuomey.<\/p>\n

\"Architectural<\/p>\n

RAMSA \/ Alden Studios<\/p>\n

The New York Historical\u2019s Tang Wing for American Democracy | New York (June 2026)<\/p>\n

One of the final works of revered architect Robert A.M. Stern, who died in late November, the expansion of The New York Historical<\/a> is set to be completed this summer. Called the Tang Wing for American Democracy, the addition will be connected to the main museum and span more than 71,000 square feet. Timed to the nation\u2019s 250th anniversary, the project will also include The American LGBT+ Museum.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"aerial<\/p>\n

rendering by Stantec and DBOX<\/p>\n

Lucas Museum of Narrative Art | Los Angeles (Sept. 2026)<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most hotly anticipated museum on the list is the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art<\/a> in Los Angeles. Spearheaded by iconic filmmaker George Lucas and wife Mellody Hobson, the 300,000-square-foot institution features a futuristic design by Ma Yansong\u2019s MAD Architects on the site of a former parking lot. Inside will be 100,000 square feet of gallery space dedicated to \u201cvisual storytelling\u201d<\/a> (with artworks by Frida Kahlo and Norman Rockwell, among many others), plus Lucas\u2019s own archives, two cinemas, classrooms, a restaurant and cafe.<\/p>\n

\"Interior<\/p>\n

Concept rendering of The Hip Hop Museum\/Courtesy of RAA<\/p>\n

Hip Hop Museum | New York (October 2026)<\/p>\n

A popular but often overlooked musical genre is finally getting its due with the soon-to-open Hip Hop Museum,<\/a> set along the Harlem River in the Bronx. At 55,000 square feet, the first cultural institution dedicated to Hip Hop aims to preserve the style\u2019s musical legacy and inspire the next generation with a slate of exhibitions and public programs.<\/p>\n

\"Large<\/p>\n

Atelier Kanal \u00a9Secchi Smith<\/p>\n

Centre Pompidou\/Kanal | Brussels (November 2026)<\/p>\n

The Belgian capital of Brussels will soon get its first contemporary art museum thanks to a partnership between the local KANAL Foundation<\/a> and famed Paris institution Centre Pompidou.<\/a> Designed by international firm Sergison Bates Architects, the museum is taking over a 430,000-square-foot former Citro\u00ebn garage and car showroom.<\/p>\n

\"Cityscape<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Herzog and de Meuron and Memphis Art Museum<\/p>\n

Memphis Art Museum | Memphis, TN (December 2026)<\/p>\n

Along the banks of the Mississippi River is the new home of Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, which will henceforth be known as The Memphis Art Museum.<\/a> Crafted by Pritzker Prize\u2013winning architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron of Herzog & de Meuron, the institution is set to double its square footage with the project. Also included will be a 50,000-square-foot rooftop sculpture garden and street-level public plaza. The oldest and largest art museum in the state, it maintains a permanent collection of over 10,000 works.<\/p>\n

\"Architectural<\/p>\n

Wikimedia Commons<\/p>\n

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi (2026)<\/p>\n

Pritzker Prize\u2013winning architect Frank Gehry<\/a> left behind a towering legacy when he died in December at age 96. One of his final projects is the Guggenheim\u2019s Abu Dhabi outpost, which features his signature angled shapes and curved forms. The 320,000-square-foot museum is slated to open later this year, two decades after it was first announced, on Saadiyat Island\u2014also home to the Louvre Abu Dhabi<\/a> and the Zayed National Museum.<\/p>\n

\"Modern<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Ye Jianyuan<\/p>\n

Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art | Suzhou, China (2026)<\/p>\n

In a city just west of Shanghai, the Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art<\/a> is the latest statement building by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). Comprised of 12 pavilions united by a ribbon-like roof, the massive new institution will encompass nearly 650,000 square feet.<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Geoffrey Montes is an associate editor at ELLE Decor with a serious love for all things real estate and design. Before that, he worked at Architectural Digest, Galerie, and Preservation magazines, covering everything from jaw-dropping listings to world-famous architects and design events like Salone del Mobile and Homo Faber.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"4 min read A slew of hotly anticipated cultural institutions opened this year, from Cairo\u2019s long-delayed Grand Egyptian…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":265648,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[267],"tags":[365,362,363,364,2320,135979,366,343,18,117,19,17,590,135978],"class_list":{"0":"post-265647","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-artsdesign","12":"tag-content-type-default","13":"tag-contentid-398e10cd-00e4-4204-a317-7f89c84145ba","14":"tag-design","15":"tag-displaytype-standard-article","16":"tag-eire","17":"tag-entertainment","18":"tag-ie","19":"tag-ireland","20":"tag-locale-us","21":"tag-shorttitle-11-must-visit-museums-opening-in-2026"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115832783249664920","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265647","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=265647"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265647\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/265648"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=265647"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=265647"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=265647"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}